01/09/2025

Adapt Your Marketing Approach to Connect and Build Trust

Create diverse outreach to your membership

At first glance, marketing seems like a straightforward task: All you have to do is make sure everyone knows what you're selling. Easy, right? Alas, marketing is not just about the product, service, or event you’re promoting—it's about the needs of your audience. And your audience isn’t just one person. Marketers need to be adaptable, as each member or client has different preferences and goals.

Master of Disguise

As marketers in association management, we metaphorically pack our many hats every day. Each conversation requires a different approach because the dynamics vary widely among members, clients, and colleagues. We might wear a "friend hat" for casual conversations, a "pitching hat" for formal presentations, a "listener hat" for gathering feedback, or even a "problem-solving hat" to address specific challenges. Each interaction calls for a different hat, and knowing which one to put on is what makes marketing both an art and a science.

While versatility is key, remember that marketing isn’t about pleasing everyone, it's about identifying and emphasizing the aspects of your offerings that genuinely benefit your audience.

Please select this link to read the complete article from ASAE’s Center for Association Leadership.